'Baby Daddy': Pilot Recap

The series premiere of Baby Daddy was much better than I could have anticipated. It was complete with comedy and parts that made me want to tear up. The premise of the show is about Ben Wheeler (played by Jean-Luc Bilodeau) who is living with his two roommates, brother Danny Wheeler (played by Derek Theler) and friend Tucker Dobbs (played by Tahj Mowry) living the good life in New York City when Ben opens up his door one day to find a baby, Emma, that was left there by an ex-girlfriend of his. She says that Emma is his and With the help of his friend, Riley Perrin (played by Chelsea Kane), they are able to calm Emma down and Ben and Tucker go out to get supplies for the baby to hold them over. They get completely ridiculed by an older lady at the grocery store because of the foods they have selected and she tells them what they should be getting. While they are gone, Riley shows Danny how to care for the baby and when Ben and Tucker return, she tries to leave. Since none of the guys want her to leave though, Danny uses what he just learned against her (that she likes Ben) and gets her to stay the night to help out.

The next morning, Ben and Tucker con Danny in to keeping Emma during the day while Ben works. Riley is hanging out at Ben’s job and is asking him how much he wants to be involved in the baby’s life. While they were talking, the baby’s mom returned and left Ben with an envelope that contained adoption papers, and said that she already found a great family, and just needs his signature. While Ben is contemplating signing the papers, his mom shows up at the door asking where the baby is. She fawns over the baby for a bit before she finds out that the baby has been placed for adoption by the mom and for a minute it looks like she is honestly saddened by the fact, until she hears that Ben is contemplating signing the papers and she is all for it. She tells Ben that “he can’t begin to understand the kind of sacrifice it takes to be a parent.” Her reasons for her own sacrifices with Ben were all purely selfish, but she points out to Ben that he hasn’t finished raising himself, he can’t cook, and he is just barely paying his bills. That really hit home to Ben because he really hasn’t and he knows that.

After his chat with his mom, Ben calls the adoption agency to tell them that he is going to go ahead with it and they tell him that someone will be there in the morning. He really looks like he is fighting with his decision. Inside of the apartment, Ben’s mom is having a little chat with the baby and was talking about her “Uncle Danny” and how she had to have a “c-, d- and e- section;” probably my favorite line of the episode.

That night, after Ben texts Riley for help as his mom is about to leave him alone, Danny runs up the stairs to stop Riley from going in to the apartment. He tells her that all Ben has heard from his family is that he can’t raise the baby, but he was never given the chance to try and if she goes in there now he will never believe in himself either. Danny, Riley, and Tucker end up camping outside of Ben’s door and don’t give him the satisfaction of having them take over his fatherly duties. As Ben is thrown in to a crash course of taking care of a baby, he learns a lot about Emma. He gets through changing her diaper, and after not being able to get her to take her bottle, he starts playing with it and she loves that and starts drinking her bottle.

The next morning, just before someone from the adoption agency is supposed to show up, Ben decides that he does not want to give up his rights as the baby’s father. So begins three young guys taking care of a baby.

Catch an all new episode, “I Told You So,” tonight at 8:30/7:30c on ABC Family and see what chaos goes down as the guys try to raise Emma on their own.